What to Hang on a Wall {Life’s Little Dilemmas}

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Sometimes I ponder the deep questions of life, like what should I put on my wall?

A few weeks ago I was trying to figure out what to do with a relatively small space between my front door and living room windows. It had an awkward placement of light switches so everything I tried to hang looked off balance, too high, or just seemed to accentuate the switches.

Dilemma.

What to do? Hmmmm.

So, as I often do, I started looking around my house for a solution. Because that is how I decorate, I have very scientific formulas for solving decorating dilemmas. Basically, I wander around my house as if I’m at a store looking for just the right piece for my home. Except, I’m already home.

When I spotted a basket, I knew that was exactly what I needed. Not only did it solve the issue of the unattractive switches (I just take the basket off the nail to turn off and on lights and then put it right back, easy peasy), but it gave a fun little artistic display of craftsmanship that suited my craftsman home.

To add to my basket wall display, my daughter spotted a wire basket on sale while we were shopping at JoAnn’s fabric, and then I added a little mirror perfect for making sure I don’t have spinach in my teeth before I walk out the door.

Maybe I’ll add more baskets to my collection over time, but that is all I had for now.

After I saw the wall and it was good (I learned that decorating lesson from God), then I moved on to another wall on the other side of the door. I’m kind of into making sure that things flow around the room and look right together, so I just felt like I wanted more of the same type of texture somewhere else. So, another mirror for teeth checking and a smaller version of the wire basket did the trick!

Right about now is when I regret not cleaning my mirrors before I took pictures. Oops! But, you know. I’ve been kind of busy with things like Christmas so I’ll get around to that, sometime.

I happened to have a random little hook that looked like something you’d have on a boat to tie a rope or something (update: an observant reader says it is a hook to hold up the cord on blinds!), so I used it for hanging the wire basket. Usually I just hang things with nails but sometimes I like to add a little something extra by using a decorative hook or knob instead.

Comments

I really like your solution. The baskets are great. I have used them to hide smoke detectors and telephone outlets, but never light switches. I could get into that one, though I know that my darling couldn’t. Oh well. I can’t have everything.Vee recently posted..A New Set of Dishes

My husband looked at me kind of funny but whatever. We don’t need to turn those switches off and on very often so he can deal with it. :-) The visual impact is more important than his convenience. :-) Ha.

What a great idea!!!!!! I have the exact same issue and the spot drives me crazy.. I can see it from the sofa so every time I sit down I ponder that area! I too wander my house like a store! hahaha.. going to do that right now looking for baskets, and I am sure I will get the same look from my husband! Thanks for the great post!

Perfect timing of your post! I have an awkward wall too close to my entry with a light switch. I haven’t hung anything there because I didn’t know what to hang. Now you’ve given me an idea. :) I was planning to play around with the space this week actually. ;)Gina recently posted..Happy "Hoo" Year

I must have been living under a rock, because I just discovered your blog a few days ago. I was searching through it trying to find a post about this wall. You must have been reading my mind! Love it! The wall and the blog ;)

I love the idea. I have a similar problem wall in my living room. You know the wall that has the thermostat, alarm, doorbell,ect. I might try this or something similar. I hope I’m not the only one who walks around their home saying to themselves “what were they thinking when the builder did this?”. I do that often. Thanks for all the great ideas of solving these problems.

Nice – I like your thinking outside the box (or inside the basket!) I have a doorbell box and thermostat in funky places on my foyer wall….I’ll have to search my house for things to hang over them! Great idea.

Another great idea to inspire us all, Melissa. I have a similar wall in my back hall. Unfortunately there isn’t enough clearance for baskets. But now you have my creative juices going, I’m sure I’ll find a solution.Heather recently posted..My January To-Do List

Looks great, Melissa! Finding the right things to hang on walls can be one of the hardest things, I think. Especially when it’s a wall that you see all of the time, you want it to be something you really like. Thanks for the ideas!!

Melissa,
while I like and am eager to read all of your blog content; I LOVE these posts where you show what you’ve done in your own home/surroundings. Your creativity and ingenuity is so inspirational and your tips are so good and easy to adopt. My motto this year is ‘just one tiny thing’ everyday to make our home/life/health better. Today, inspired by this, I’m putting a brass knob on my ‘other’ front door (instead of the nail that holds wreaths/decoration). But I’ll be keeping my eye out for those little nautical cord keepers for future use. Thanks for the inspiration!

I love this idea. I have a very large wall in my living room. In the center is a low dark brown entertainment center with a tv on it. Then on both sides is about 6-7 feet of empty wall on both sides and I have no idea what to do with the space. Baskets seem like a good idea.

I am luvin’ the little cleat that’s holding the wire basket. There seems to always be some awkward little space in every house that challenges us. I’m working on just such a wall in my foyer. When and if I ever get my Christmas decorations in the attic, I’m hitting that space. But if my pals haven’t heard from me for a week or so, they can look for me buried under a pile of 40 bins and boxes! *grin*Sue recently posted..Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign….

The baskets are a gret idea…of course I happen to love baskets…use them any chance I get for just about anything. I would carry one as a purse if I could find the right one…I have a “what to hang on the wall” decorating delimma. It my stone fireplace that does not have a mantle. I have been thinking about putting a post out there asking for suggestions. Maybe some of your readers could help me out.jeanne recently posted..Made in America…The Longaberger Company

Melissa, I could hear your voice as I read this post. Accentuating the switches? Oh my word, I’ve done that before. Love that longsuffering basket. well done!Nester recently posted..Coming Up :: Home Goals Linky Party

What a great idea with hanging the wire baskets and I love how you hung the one with the kleet. I have tons of them and never thought of hanging them. I have this huge wall in my family room that goes up the back staircase just starving for a makeover!
Marianne :)

I love the basket over the switches, you are a genius! And I love the little knob you used for the wire basket. You could keep little last minute things in there before you leave the house. Like gloves or mints, or lipgloss.Jen recently posted..Cleaning up after Christmas

I’ll *never* have the problem of deciding what to put on a wall space – I have lots of blank walls in my house, but I also have lots of my stitching finishes which are just waiting to be framed to hang on the walls. Unfortunately, it might be a while before the walls all get filled with pictures, because I can’t afford to get them all framed at once!Susan recently posted..Pavlova

soooo i am in love with your blog!!! i have a question about the basket with hook… i love this idea for putting car keys in.. instead of the boring sign that hangs that says KEYS and has 3 hooks under it.. i went to my local hobby lobby and looked for baskets… is the one in your house rod iron or it just looks like its built well? i fell in love with a rod iron one but it is heavy and i dont want a huge hole in my wall when i put my keys in it and it takes the wall down with it..i am obsessed with pinterest and wish i was soo cool to have a blog.. but i am not.. lol! soo if you have time to write me back i would love some help!

Uhh! Having the same issues in my kitchen right now and it has left me pondering for the past three days and I get to the point to where I just make myself go work on another project…Reading this post made me feel better :)creativediygal recently posted..My Hutch

Thank you so much for this post! You helped me solve a decorating dilemma in my dining room. Never thought of hanging baskets on the wall. Picked up a large rectangular and round basket with some chicken wire in it. Looks beautiful! You are a true inspiration.